The School of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Undergraduate Honors Concentration

T he Spring 2010 application period (for admittance to the Concentration in Fall 2010) will begin January 27 and will end on midnight, February 19. Qualified applicants will be interviewed and offers of admittance to the Concentration will be made prior to the Early Registration Period for Fall 2010 (April 5).  The Application can be found here.  See the "Application Process" section below for more details.  If you missed the Information Meeting, a link to a PDF copy of the presentation slides can be found here.

The MCB Honors Concentration is designed for exceptional MCB Majors who demonstrate personal motivation to explore a fuller complement of experiences in biology during their undergraduate training. MCB honors students typically plan to enter graduate or professional programs to reach their career goals and want an intensive undergraduate education as preparation.

Honors students must

• fulfill all normal requirements of the MCB major;
• complete honors sections in the MCB core courses (MCB 250, 251, 252, 253, 354);
  
• complete four or more additional Upper-Class Honors Courses, typically taken as Juniors and Seniors (although Honors students are encouraged to begin MCB 290 research sooner);
• maintain minimum grade point averages, as required, based upon entry date into the Honors Concentration (see Honors Coordinator for details);
• other requirements may apply.
  

Required honors sections in the MCB Core

In addition to providing direct interaction with faculty, honors sections are designed to develop skills in reading and critiquing primary scientific literature, analytical thinking and problem solving, and oral and written communication.

Advanced Honors Courses may include

1. One additional 3-5 hour advanced MCB course from the Approved List of Advanced Courses for MCB Majors;
2. Honors Project in one advanced MCB course from the Approved List of Advanced Courses for MCB Majors;
3. MCB 290: Individual Topics (Undergraduate Research): must be taken for a minimum of 2 credit hours (or 1, if taken during the 8 wk summer session);
4. MCB 492: Senior Thesis (may be applied towards graduation with distinction);
5. MCB 493: Special Topics in Molecular and Cellular Biology (only certain sections apply; see Honors advisor for list of sections approved dor Honors credit);
6. LAS 299: Study Abroad in MCB-approved discipline-specific programs only.
   
7. Advanced Discussion Section in approved Advanced MCB Course (see Honors Advisor for list of courses approved for Honors credit).

   Students must consult the Honors Coordinator about the Advanced honors options.  Students must complete courses in a minimum of three different categories and only items 3 and 5 may potentially be repeated.  Other categories may be added over time.
   

Eligibility

The MCB Honors Concentration is open to MCB majors only. Applicants must be current MCB majors or must declare the MCB major upon starting the Concentration. In addition to the motivation to perform honors work, qualifications for admittance may include cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better, grades of B+ or better in mathematics and science courses taken at the University of Illinois, and University of Illinois teaching assistant or instructor recommendation. Interested students should apply prior to enrolling in MCB 250/251--generally, during the Spring of their Freshman year. Applications will also be processed during the Fall semester to accommodate those students planning to enroll in MCB 250/251 during the Spring semester. *Please Note*: the instructors of MCB 250 strongly recommended completion of one year of general chemistry and one semester or concurrent enrollment in organic chemistry for students enrolled in MCB 250.  Students who have not completed their general chemistry sequence prior to the beginning of Fall 2010 will not be allowed to enroll in the Honors Concentration.  Please see the FAQ for more details.

Application Process

The Spring 2010 application period (for admittance to the Concentration in Fall 2010) will begin  January 27 and will end at midnight on February 19. Qualified applicants will be interviewed and offers of admittance to the Concentration will be made prior to the Early Registration Period for Fall 2010 (April 5). A link to the on-line application can be found here.  It is recommended that you prepare and save the information in a separate document and cut and paste in the application form for submission.  If you make a mistake, you may re-submit a new application.  Only the last application submitted will be read.

Letter of Recommendation

Applicants must submit a letter of recommendation.  This letter must be from a University of Illinois professor or teaching assistant (exceptions will be made for first semester transfer students only).  The letter should address your qualifications for participation in a college-level honors program and your level of commitment, in general, to your education.  Consider asking a Professor or graduate student who has known you in a classroom or laboratory (research) setting.  Students must download the Letter of Evaluation Form, fill in the top portion (sign) and submit to their referee.  This form must accompany their letter of Recommondation.  Letters may be mailed via campus mail, or emailed directly from the referee to Dr. Naidu or hand-delivered by the student to Dr. Naidu in 127 Burrill Hall.  Letters delivered by students must be in a sealed envelope, signed across the seal by the referee.  For full consideration letters must be received by the application deadline.   

Please the the FAQ if you have more questions about the Honors Concentration.

For More Information:

Dr. Shawna Naidu
Program Coordinator, MCB Honors
127 Burrill Hall
(217) 333-6774
shawna@illinois.edu